Barong from ebay, what do you think?

[kai]

Hello Mike,

As far as using the coins to help determine age I cannot agree as they could have been added at any point in this items life. Coins could easily be older or newer than anything they are attached to.

I completely agree with Robert. I also believe coins are about the most common add-on to make something appear older than it actually is.

This is a really nice barung though - congrats!

IMHO the barung itself is an antique Tausug piece, quite possibly (late) 19th century. I especially like the not so common silver braiding which seems to be in good condition despite some genuine wear. Looks like a fighting barung with above average fittings to me.

Please post a close-up of the carving at the scabbard tip once you receive it! From what I can glean from the pics, I'm not convinced this is as old as the barung; if I had to guess, I'd believe this to originate from the first quarter of the 20th c.: the ukkil carving (Tausug, too) is nice but not of the workmanship typical for the 19th c. I'd also guess that the coins got added later (i. e. after the initial carving of the scabbard) since their placement slightly compromises the wood carving esthetics; doesn't look recent either though. BTW, I'd prefer to remove the leather strap which might be the only non-genuine add-on of the piece.

Regards,
Kai